Alright well this week was a little bit better. We finally had some of the people we're teaching come to church! They've wanted to come to church for a long time now, they've just been really shy about going because it's far and they thought they wouldn't know anyone. BUT it turned out really good! The mom and one of the sons of this family we've been teaching came to church and they loved it! They told us that they felt really welcomed and felt really good about being there. It was really inspiring to watch members come up on their own and talk with them. We didn't have to introduce them to anyone because everyone was already coming and introducing themselves to them. Just know that something as simple as introducing yourself can go a long way.
This week we've also just decided we'd look for returning members because we've been having trouble finding anyone new to teach. Well in just one day we found some really cool members that haven't been visited by anyone in a while. It's always a little interesting trying to contact members that haven't been to church or who haven't been visited in a while because you never know what to expect. But ya let's just say it definitely worked out this time. We also found a family that had been taught by missionaries about 22 years ago and they all still totally respect and like us missionaries! In fact one of them had actually walked up to us and showed us where she lived and told us to come back! Here in Toledo I feel like I haven't had a lot of good luck when it comes to finding but that was definitely a huge miracle for us after all the efforts we had made to find new people to teach.
I also just realized that I probably only have 3 weeks left here in Toledo and despite how hard the work has been here, I really appreciate the opportunities I've had to learn and to grow here. It's been exhausting but it's definitely been worth it. I've just been trying to focus on the positives a lot lately and it really does change your attitude about the work. It's been good.
yup,
Elder Shirley